This invention relates to monitoring and controlling systems and particularly to a monitoring system for remote devices which are communicatively connected via telephone lines and or telcom networks. The system operates from a central location to collect, store and manipulate information from remotely located devices such as gas, electric and water meters, vending machines, automatic teller machines (ATM's), casino gaming devices, alarm and security systems and telecommunications systems. In particular, the system is useful to monitor, control and communicate with a plurality of pay (coin) telephones from a central location.
In the past, various systems and methods have been used and proposed to monitor and/or control remote separate devices or units. However, these systems and methods have significant shortcomings and limitations.
Despite the need for a system and method in the art which are easy to install, secure from fraud, useable to monitor and control a plurality of remotely located devices from a central location, and which overcome the limitations and problems of the prior art, none insofar as is known have been proposed or developed.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a system which is useful for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remotely located devices from a central facility and for analyzing data from such devices. Another object is to provide a system which is usable by entities having a large number of remotely located subscribers or customers such as public utilities, or security systems. Further objects of this invention are to provide methods for collecting data at the remotely located devices, for communicating data from the remotely located devices to the central system, and for communicating control signals from the central system to the remotely located devices. Still further objects of this invention are to provide hardware systems for the central facility and for the remote devices to accomplish the above-referenced processes. Finally, it is a particular object of this invention to provide hardware for the remote devices which may be powered solely via normal telephone line current.